Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to home automation systems and more specifically to voice control of home automation systems.
Background Information
Home automation systems are becoming increasingly popular in both residential and commercial buildings. Such systems may be capable of controlling, switching data between, and otherwise interacting with a wide variety of devices, including lighting devices, security devices, audio/video (A/V) devices, heating ventilation and cooling (HVAC) devices, and/or other types of devices. Traditionally, home automation systems have provided various types of button-centric or touch screen-based control. More recently, there have been attempts to provide voice control. However various limitations of voice control have hindered its widespread adoption in home automation systems, rendering it more of a curiosity than a direct replacement for button-centric or touch screen-based control.
One problem with voice control is that users are often unsure what to say to the home automation system to produce a desired result. Many voice recognition systems are configured to understand only a limited number of key phrases (a lexicon of key phrases) that are each mapped to control actions. In order to trigger an action, the user must say one of the key phases in the lexicon. Users may be initially taught key phrases via a user manual, tutorial or other sort of training materials. However, over time they may forget the key phrases for certain desired actions and become frustrated when they cannot cause the home automation system to respond in the desired manner. In attempts to address this issue, some home automation systems are configured to provide an on-demand listing of all key phrases. However, the display of the entire lexicon often overwhelms the user, burying information relevant to their present desires among a listing of other key phrases that are largely irrelevant to what they are presently attempting to do.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved techniques for implementing voice control in a home automation system.